Region seeks industrial land, affordable housing manager

Purchase offer made Tuesday for final property in proposed Wilmot land package

The Region of Waterloo wants to hire a new land and development boss as it assembles 770 acres of farmland in Wilmot Township for a “shovel-ready” site in anticipation of a big investment.

A notice on the website for Municipal World says the region’s priorities are increasing the supply of industrial land and affordable housing, and the new position for an associate director, development and portfolio management, will pay $132,000 to $166,000 a year.

“You will have the opportunity to lead some of the region’s largest and most strategic industrial and affordable housing development projects,” says the notice, including the redevelopment of the former Charles Street bus station, and the multi-residential and commercial parts of the new central transit station at King and Victoria streets.

Increasing the region’s supply of industrial land reserves for redevelopment by using what the ad calls “a revolving investment model” is also a priority.

When asked about the ad, Region of Waterloo communications director Lynsey Slupeiks said the position has been vacant since last fall, but the position was given more authority and a higher salary because of the nature of the work.

Word of the job posting arrived in Wilmot just as the region made an offer on Tuesday to purchase the final property — a single-family home — on the parcel of land bordered by Bleams Road, Nafziger Road, Highway 7/8 and Wilmot Centre Road. There are six farms and six houses on that land, and five of the owners rejected the region’s

A notice on the website for Municipal World says the region’s priorities are increasing the supply of industrial land and affordable housing

offer weeks ago and are waiting for notices of expropriation.

The six farmers received offers of about $35,000-an-acre. It’s not known what the homeowners were offered.

“I am just stunned at all this,” said Alfred Lowrick, a spokesperson for the landowners threatened with expropriation.

Lowrick and others went to Queen Park this week looking for answers from government and opposition MPPs. They learned nothing new, he said. They went to Queen’s Park after trying to get answers from the region and township.

“I am disheartened by the lack of transparency,” said Lowrick. “I get they want to do this, but why? We really struggle with the why.”

It is not known why the last offer was made weeks after the others. But the township’s mayor and council issued a brief statement Wednesday acknowledging the considerable concern about the lack of information and resulting frustration among residents.

The statement was released after Wilmot Township Mayor Natasha Salonen met with at least one farmer earlier this week who is facing expropriation.

“The township is not and should not be involved directly in those discussions and subsequent transactions,” says the statement. The township will provide updates when there is significant new information to share, it says.

“At this time that is all they have to share,” said Debra Dell, the township’s manager of communications and strategic initiatives. “This is a statement council requested.”

The township’s mayor and council issued a brief statement acknowledging the considerable concern about the lack of information and resulting frustration